NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a two-game ban to Ravens running back Ray Rice[1] for knocking out his then-fiancee-now-wife in a hotel elevator in February. Two games. That’s a fraction of the number of games players typically receive from smoking marijuana or taking a banned substance.

Goodell has taken heat for his ruling — and with reason — but the commissioner has remained silent. The only statement issued on behalf of the NFL came from Adolfo Burch, the league’s vice president of labor policy and government affairs, on “Mike and Mike” on Monday. And, frankly, the interview couldn’t have gone worse[2].

Burch seemed convinced that the punishment fit the crime, and had a hard time understanding why anyone would question it.

“We believe that the discipline we issued is appropriate — it’s multiple games, and hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “It doesn’t reflect that we condone the behavior.”

Now it’s Goodell’s turn. League spokesman Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk that the commissioner will talk to reporters[4] during Hall of Fame festivities this weekend in Canton, Ohio, and he’ll likely be bombarded with questions about the ban and the thought that went behind the two-game ruling.

Will he be able to at all justify the two-game ban for a guy that beat a woman? No. It’s not possible. But it’s about time he at least said something. Stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend.